The Counter Intelligence Unit of the Ghana Revenue Authority, GRA, has impounded five 20-footer containers of rosewood consignment from Dambai to the Tema Port for export.
The trucks with registration numbers GT 3226-11 and GT 7859-14, were apprehended at the Afienya Axle Load Station.
An encounter between officials of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority in the company of some military personnel and officers from the Economic and Organized Crime Office almost turned physical because the Customs Officials refused to release the keys to one of the impounded trucks to the EOCO Officer.
The GRA officials who were accompanied by some armed soldiers demanded for the permit covering the consignment and this led to disagreement between the GRA personnel and EOCO officials who came to the scene in the company of armed Police officers, claiming authority over the intercepted consignment.
According to the EOCO officials, the keys to the trucks must be handed over to them to enable them to lead the trucks to the Tema Regional Police Command for further investigation.
The GRA officials insisted on seeing the permit of the said consignment before releasing the keys. This brought about an argument between officials of the two state agencies.
Just as the case was about to be resolved, an official from the Forestry Commission Ben Onuma got to the scene and directed that the consignment be sent to the Forestry Commission’s Office in Accra, but this was not done
Officials at the Axle Load Station also claimed the trucks were overloaded and liable to a fine of five thousand, five hundred Ghana Cedis.
They initially insisted that until the fine was fully paid, the trucks would not be allowed to leave. A call purported to have come from a higher authority changed the narrative as the trucks had to be allowed to leave without paying the fines.
Though an official communication has not been given to the media, information gathered showed that the consignment has been sent to the collection point of the GRA at the Kotoka International Airport.
